


Words in the Dark

by findtheword



Series: Solas/Inquisitor [2]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Existential Crisis, F/M, This ended up more cute and less raw than I intended ...
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-27
Updated: 2017-05-27
Packaged: 2018-11-05 06:57:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11008284
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/findtheword/pseuds/findtheword
Summary: After uncovering the secrets of Din'an Hanin, Hana seeks solace deep in the ruins, and it finds her there.





	Words in the Dark

Hana breathed out a sigh of relief as the revenant collapsed to the ground (well, more like exploded thanks to Iron Bull's enthusiasm ...). The last of the undead was toast as well and it seemed like no more were emerging. Catching Solas' eye, she gestured to the last brazier he had lit and raised her eyebrows in a questioning manner. 

"I believe that is the last of them," he told her, having approached. He sounded infuriatingly composed after the battle - unlike Hana who was out of breath and most definitely feeling worse for wear with great gashes and singes all over her armour. Still, though, she supposed that's what happened when you preferred to get up close and stick tiny daggers in the big scary enemies. "Look," he added, gesturing at the bridge that had moved across. 

Hana shifted her gaze to the bridge, breath catching in her throat. She wasn't sure what secrets this place was keeping and even when they began recovering seals it seemed more likely to her that it was all a big hoax. The fact that she could be uncovering something huge about her people made her pause at the end of the bridge, more out of respect than anything else. 

"As divine a statue as you make, my dear, would it trouble you to take that scroll so we can get out of this infernal place?" Dorian chimed in, already back towards the door. He was interested in history all right, but not so much as he was troubled by being in such an unsavoury environment. 

Solas shot the Tevinter what he considered to be a subtle look of displeasure behind Hana's back, though by the way he grinned in his direction it was very much noticed. In truth, Dorian enjoyed flirting with Hana as much as possible in Solas' presence, solely to wind him up (well, and he had always shown affection to his greatest friends by treating them to a good flirt). He had noticed the pent-up attraction between the two the moment he had set foot in Haven - which then had only served to confirm what he expected from their experience in the dark future. Of course now everyone from the scullery elf to the bitterly jealous commander of the inquisition' forces was aware of what existed between the two despite his fellow mage's reluctance to go public. 

Hana, for her part, shot Dorian a choice look of her own, reached up and took the scroll. Immediately the four of them cast paranoid glances around the room, expecting at least an arcane horror and a choir of demons to pop up at the invasion. Apparently not, though, and Hana let out a nervous laugh. "Let's get out of here before Dorian passes out," she teased, nudging him as she passed. 

*** *** ***

Back out at the gates to the ruin, Hana persuaded her companions to strike temporary camp. Tevan's clan still hadn't retrieved his party's bodies and she felt she had to do something for them. And she also for some reason was stalling actually taking a look at the artefact they had recovered. At least with tents pitched she could take a look privately. 

And when she did it had been ... more than she has imagined. She had always been mindful of heritage and about as responsible as a Dalish elf is raised to be in questioning faith rather than following blindly. But she had simply never imagined she would be the first in hundreds of years to read words that could help shape even a tiny pocket of her people's lore. It was all a bit much to digest and as she pored over the scroll, she increasingly found herself drawn back to the ruin. She wasn't exactly sure why she wanted to go back there, but almost before she knew it she was sneaking away from her friends. 

As the stealthiest of the bunch, she didn't find it too difficult to pass round the back of the camp, scale part of the wall and throw herself through the gate. Or at least if they had noticed no one had been concerned enough to follow. Either way, it suited her just fine. 

She managed to wind her way back through the ruin, an innate sense of direction helping her navigate the broken through walls and maze of staircases. Once there, she gave the room a cursory look and went to perch at the edge of the ledge the scroll had been suspended over. She closed her eyes and swung her legs above the unnerving drop to the put below. And she just _thought_. She considered what had actually happened at Red Crossing and more widely about what it was all like through the various ages of elven existence. 

"I thought I might find you here," came a voice at her ear. 

Shocked out of what had become a meditative state, Hana jumped deftly to her feet, yanking a dagger from her side before registering the voice she heard. She forced her fingers to release the grip on the dagger and caught her breath as the weapon clanged on the stone. 

"Solas!" she uttered. "What are you doing here? I guess I've been a while. Are the others here or ..."

"I told them you were sleeping, Vhenan."

Hana felt some tension release from her shoulders and she turned back to the altar, if that's even what you could call it. 

"It changes things, Solas," she told him, her voice growing tight. She laughed, a strangled, strained sound, throwing her hand up at her own silliness. "I don't know why I'm reacting like this - it's not even that big a deal! Ugh ..."

As she swiped an impatient hand at a suddenly wet eye, she felt an arm cross over her shoulders, pulling her warmly into the side of Solas' chest. Hana sighed and turned her face slightly into his chest, her arm snaking out and tucking itself around his waist. There her fingers dug into his side, searching for purchase as if she were afraid this was a dream. As if understanding that doubt, Solas gripped Hana's upper arm, stroking his thumb in a comforting manner. 

"It is a ripple," he told her, facing forwards at the alter. "It is the promise that we can't presume to know the past without having an experience to base that knowledge on. Faith is all very well and good for posture and control ..."

"I wish I could," Hana said quietly, turning her face up to him. 

"Could what?" he asked, a slight frown creasing his brow as he met her gaze and held it. 

"Experience the past," she answered, eyes wide in honest earnest. 

Solas' expression crumpled in temporary pain as his heart squeezed at the thought. "As do I, my heart." They could have been magnificent. _More than you could know._ He tilted his head and planted a soft kiss on top of her hair, the pair taking in a deep breath in unison, clinging to each other as the ground shifted. 


End file.
